Bradley's Pub and Grille

The more formal dining room at Bradley's Pub and Grille.

Popped collars, weird saunters with one hand partly in the pocket of some pastel colored short pant, raucous joking about holes and balls, and the smell of drying Bud Light. 

Seems to me that no matter how swanky the club, many golf course restaurants hold some or all of the above. Some adore that, some loathe it. Luckily for both, Bradley's has none of it - but also has quite a bit more!

A fun bar area with plenty to drink and see!

Bradley's is located at the Interlochen Golf Club. This little gem of a course has seen its fair share of me. I've whacked balls on the driving range, downed brews in what was once the club gathering place, I even broke my driver head clean off here! An annoying day, that was.

Yet, despite all that history, I only just recently chose to experience the newly minted Bradley's. And I am glad that I did!

The aforementioned (or soon to be mentioned, whatever the case may be) beef tips.

My lovely wife, wiggly son, and I met my parents-in-law for dinner here. I had no idea what to expect. They bill themselves as a "pub and grille" and, while those two words excite me greatly, I understand that one must proceed with caution. Doesn't Applebees call itself a pub and grille? If so, my point is most excellently illustrated - yuck.

I have ventured into PLENTY of pubs and grilles and left feeling completely deflated....in the wallet....from the absolute robbery that just happened at the hands of the liars who had named the place.

The smoked salmon dip.

Not so at Bradley's. The chef here knows exactly what he is doing. He also knows that folks in these parts (read: people in this region) have come to expect excellence from their pub and grille set! 

Enough babbling. Let's talk food and drink!

First and foremost, the house brew is a lighter IPA made by Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City - one of my favorite breweries. It is most satisfying! If you happen upon a place in our region that counts Right Brain as their house brew maker, get it! Minerva's has the Park Ale, Sleder's has a cream ale. Boone's Long Lake Inn has another cream ale. All are excellent!

Starter salad and wine....with crayons!

Appetizers on the menu run the gamut. We were served the blackened beef tips -  a wondrous concoction consisting of Spanish rice cakes, blackened beef tips (hence the name, yeah?), diced roasted red peppers, cilantro ( my wife's favorite!) and shredded smoked cheddar cheese. There's a picture of these things on this blog somewhere. Read the captions and take a look! They were outstanding! We also partook of the smoked salmon dip, consisting of house smoked salmon whipped into cream cheese with chives, red pepper, and seasonings, served with pretzel toast points. Also divine!

The appetizer menu also features pulled pork nachos, southwest eggrolls, and more!

My lovely wife's feast of walnut crusted rainbow trout.

For dinner, one particular dish caught my eye - beer battered bluegill. As a kid, I would go fishing with my dad and catch a mountain of these tasty little fish (some not so little!). I wanted to take a trip down that memory lane. And so I did!

This dish features a half pound of pale ale beer battered bluegill drizzled with malt vinegar gastrique. It was served with roasted red skin potatoes and house slaw. I soon discovered that I had made an excellent decision!

Wings by the pound, walnut crusted rainbow trout, charbroiled beef tenderloin, smoked baby back pork ribs, and much much more was also to be found on that wonderful menu.

This be the Bluegill! Along with that Right Brain Brewery IPA.

A couple of tasty salad and sandwich choices rounded out the menu. And the wine and beer list, along with available mixed drinks, were quite extensive! With abundant local options. 

The views here are pure Michigan!

The ambiance of the joint is none to over the top. All windows look out onto the green rolling fields of golf, it even has a rive rolling through. The dining areas range from a bit more formal seating to the old standard of bellying up to the bar, which has a welcoming design and ambiance as well.

In short, Bradley's of Interlochen is a grand place to visit before that Interlochen Center for the Arts concert, after a round, or just because. Get there and try it for yourself!

Spanglish of Traverse City

Spanglish inhabits the former home of the Underground Cheesecake Company on the grounds of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

First and foremost, I apologize for the absence! I am back, traversing this wonderful area with my little family, eating outstanding food, taking pics and blogging about it here. My goal is 1-2 restaurants per month, so do continue to check back often!

Anyway! Onto the fun stuff. The above picture may be a bit familiar to those of you who have read through this blog a time or two. There's a very good reason for that. This building that now houses Spanglish once housed the Underground Cheesecake Company.  For those of you that love cheesecake, have no fear, the cheesecake brilliance is now located in the building directly behind this one. 

The interior is small, but, since takeout is an option, this won't matter at all!

Now that I've put your no-cheesecake-induced panic attack to rest, let's discuss this Spanglish, shall we? I've noticed that the blog on Osorio's continues to be the most read blog on my little site. Obviously, you folks enjoy authentic Central American fare. Well, here at Spanglish, you get just that!

The bean dip is the best in town!

A brilliant native chef and his equally brilliant wife have put together a little bit of Mexican heaven. right on the grounds of the Grand Traverse Commons here in Traverse City. Together with their team, they are putting out some of the very best Mexican food available in the region today!

Outstanding, simple creations flow from this Traverse City kitchen.

Their tag line is "A Fresh Tradition." And that is exactly what they are. Their offerings are simple and traditional. They know what they are good at and they produce that excellence daily. Since their opening, their small restaurant has become a hub for hungry locals and visitors alike. In fact, the one sure thing that I used in Central America to find excellent food can be seen here at Spanglish everyday. That thing is the line of folks who live in and work at the Grand Traverse Commons seeking their daily fix of Spanglish. When the true locals love it enough to stand in line, especially when there are so many other options available to them, you know that it has got to be good. 

And it is!

Spanglish is quickly becoming an institution within the Traverse City dining scene.

Let's talk about food!

To begin with, from 9-11AM, they serve an outstanding breakfast burrito, consisting of eggs, queso cheese, potatoes, salsa roja, sour cream and your choice of Michigan pork sausage or a veggie option, which includes onion, poblano, sweet corn and bell pepper. All for only $5.50.

Before we continue, you should know that all of their ingredients are locally sourced. Awesome.

Now, for $9 you can snag 3 tacos. These are corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, salsa verde, chopped onion, cilantro and feta cheese. You can choose roasted pork,, braised beef, grilled chicken or the veggie option.

If you're a burrito lover, check out the Big Daddy for $9. This thing really is BIG. It consists of refried beans, rice, salsa verde, shredded cabbage, onions, cilantro and feta with your choice of Carnitas roasted pork, barbacoa beef, chicken or veggie.

One of the most purchased items here are the Tamales. You can snag one for $3. The options here are Carnitas and Tomatillo - consisting of roasted pork with a tomatillo sauce, chicken and guajillo - consisting of chicken with a mild red chili sauce, Three Sisters - consisting of butternut squash, corn, beans, and red bell pepper, and the New World - consisting of zucchini, roasted tomatoes, potatoes, onions and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds). These things rock!

They also offer Quesadillas and Tostadas, both very tasty! 

Sides offered include beans, rice, hot sauce, chips and salsa and more. The sides range in price from 50 cents to $5. Pretty decent pricing! In fact, nothing on the menu tops $9.

You can even take home some of their salsa or layered bean dip (one of my favorites!).

And, of course, they offer a bit of sweet as well. This is in the form of a Polvorone - an orange zest shortbread cookie for $1.50.

These cookies hit the spot for sure!

There really is nothing quite like an authentic experience, brought to you by folks who truly love their art! At Spanglish, you will find just that!

(All photos by Brooks Vanderbush)

Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen

Across from the Elk Rapids golf course is a little bit of Cajun in Elk Rapids.

 

Alligator. Shrimp Po' Boy. Hot sauce galore. Yeah, this is the North's own little bit of Cajun. And we love it so! Welcome to Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen.

There's a lot going on with the walls inside of Pearl's.

 

At Pearl's in Elk Rapids, you'll find a little bit of everything. Literally. Check out the wall decor! This place is dripping, nay, swimming, in memorabilia. Yet, it seems to accomplish exactly what it has set out to accomplish; that being an inviting atmosphere reminiscent of Cajun culture, but uniquely local and welcoming as well.

 

Whether or not you're a fan of this form of decor will matter not once your plate is set down in front of you. These guys know good food! Let's get to it!

The decor is overwhelming, but in a good way. No worries.

 

Pearl's is famous for their Po' Boy and a Pint Wednesdays, wherein you can snag a Po' Boy and a pint for $8.99. I love it!

 

The menu starts out right, there's no doubt about that! The very first thing you'll see is the varied selection of featured mix drinks at Pearl's. These things run from $5-$9. My twin favorites have always been the Oyster Shooter (a freshly shucked oyster, jalapeno steeped vodka and cocktail sauce for $4.99) and the the Hurricane (a 23.5 oz cocktail served tall glass with dark rum, light rum and fruit juices for $9). The Hurricane takes me back to Key West sunsets.....ahhhhhhh.

 

For me, if I'm not snagging a Po' Boy, I'm usually tempted to make a meal out of a few appetizers. These dishes run from $7-$23. Highlights include a dozen oysters on the half shell for $23, Huckleberry Quail for $8, crawfish cakes for $8, blackened Alligator for $8, and oysters Rockefeller for $16. Many other options are available if you're not a fan of my favs, no worries.

Pearl's manages to capture that perfect neighborhood feel that so many other joints miss.

 

Onto everyone's favorite......Soups and Salads! Yay hipsters! All jokes aside, Gumbo Ya Ya is a serious bit of delicious. This is house made with chunks of chicken and spicy Andouille sausage, finished with rice. This dish is $4 for a cup and $5 for a bowl. Crawfish and corn chowder (same price) is always my go-to soup here. The salads range from $6-$20. The selection of salads is quite nice, if you're a greens lover, check them out!

 

Heading into the entrees, these things run from $14-$24. A lot of selection here. My favorites are as follows (listen close, for I have EXCELLENT taste): Pearl's Etouffee for $17. This is a sauce with onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, cayenne pepper and more, served over dirty rice. You can pair this with garlic crawfish, blackened shrimp, Andouille Tasso or a combination. Your choice!

 

I also thoroughly enjoy the Whitefish Florentine for $19. This is Charlevoix's Cross Fisheries whitefish baked with Pearl's shallot sauce, served on a bed of garlic spinach with red beans and rice.

 

A third personal highlight is Doctor John's Garlic Delmonico for $24. This is a 12 oz cut seasoned with Voodoo spices and pan seared, finished with roasted garlic butter and smok'in tobacco onions. It is served with cheddar mashed potatoes, andouille milk gravy and fresh veggies.

A fully, FULLY stocked bar. Always a good thing!

 

For many folks, the po' boys make this place. Luckily for them, that's the next menu section!

 

These outstanding sandwiches range in price from $9-$12. Some personal favs include the fried shrimp po' boy for $10, the blackened catfish po'boy for $10 and the corn fried whitefish muffuletta for $12. Yum!

 

Desserts are $6. And fun! I can never resist the bananas foster. Wowza.

Great food, great drink, great service. Pearl's gets it!

 

Happy hour runs seven days a week from 3pm-6pm where you can snag $1 off your favorite drink and a $2.99 appetizer.

 

I dig this place. True, it's not in Traverse City, but it's a great place to meet up with friends who yet remain in Elk Rapids. The atmosphere is truly neighborhood and the food/drink are always completely satisfying. If you're pondering a trip north of Traverse City, give Pearl's a try!

 

(All photos by Brooks Vanderbush)